Carmel English department was delighted to welcome Mrs Terri Spartalis into their ranks earlier this year to take on the role of teaching our Years 8 and 10 cohorts.

For Terri, it was a ‘coming home’, of sorts, having attended Carmel as a student from Years 4 to 8. She also worked with the department’s Mr Jon O’Brien at Hale School for six years and, further consolidating her links, taught English teacher Mr Tom Spurling’s son for a couple of years.

Fully expecting a period of adjustment between herself and her new pupils at Carmel, Mrs Spartalis says she was pleasantly surprised to find that they were immediately accepting of her and open to some new ways of doing. And while her teaching experience so far has been distinctly ‘boy-centric’, Terri has noticed that the co-ed classes here at Carmel have a more settled and calm feel than her previous single gender teaching experiences.

“I really enjoy having girls in my class. My Year 10 girls are particularly confident to voice their feminist perspectives - and they’re really empowered to do so here. The boys respond well to this in class and show respect,” she notes.

A cornerstone of Terri’s teaching style is relationship-building, which she believes is essential for breaking down barriers in the classroom. For the student afraid to voice an opinion in case they ‘get it wrong,’ one-on-one chats outside of class or allowing students the time to reflect before answering are tools she commonly uses to encourage participation.

“And sometimes I just wait,” she adds. “I leave a lot of silence until someone fills it. I try to voice my thoughts and experiences to bring those guards down, particularly with my younger students,” she expands.

But the key to strengthening teacher-pupil relationships, Terri believes, is the smaller class size here at Carmel.

“You can take the time to build relationships and find something special in each student; figuring out what their strengths are. There’s time to talk to them here, which I love.

“In Year 8, I’ve got 14 students. It’s such a pleasure. I am able to have those conversations saying, ‘This is what you’re doing really well - you’ve got these strengths - and this is what we’re going to work on.’ It’s about having time for those individual discussions; you don’t get that elsewhere. I’ve gone from 28 in a class to 14. I think that’s such a benefit for these students: they get so much personal attention,” Terri emphasises.

Terri’s also impressed by the strong culture of grit and determination which helps Carmel students get ahead. Any disruption tends not to get purchase, she says, because the other students don’t follow suit as they have a strong desire to reach their personal best.

Feeling so integrated into the English department already is no accident, Terri feels. “Because we’re such a small department, there’s a lot of discussion and support. In Year 10, I’m teaching Macbeth. Tom, who has taught Macbeth before, is there for me to bounce ideas off, as is Jon, who’s been gathering resources for me. There’s open sharing and collegiality in the department. I know that I can call on any member of the department for support at any point.

“It’s a really fulfilling work environment. I’ve felt welcomed by other staff and students so warmly,” notes Terri.

As a mum to a four and five-year-old, the approach of Carmel’s leadership to those inevitable moments when the ‘wheels fall off’ has enhanced Terri’s contentment. “(Principal) Shula facilitates me when there’s something going on for my own kids. It’s amazing to know that that accommodation is there. At a recent Jewish Studies camp, (Director of Jewish Studies) Simon Lawrence said, 'Oh, just bring your kids along'. It’s been such a positive experience.”

Terri admits to getting weird vibes of déjà vu now and again - the English department office is opposite her old home room, where the layout is more or less unchanged. “Mrs Gunders-Hunt was my Hebrew teacher in Year 8, and she’s here too. It’s very bizarre, but also nice, coming at it from an adult perspective and seeing all the changes since 1998. Kadima wasn’t here, there was no compulsory Hebrew or religion and life for WACE and there were home rooms for pastoral care rather than Houses for mentor. There’s more mixing between the year groups too, which is a very positive change,” she says.

As someone who plays netball and trains at the gym with some of the Carmel staff members locally in her spare time - or what’s left of it after taking care of her kids and their activities - Terri remains connected to the community but dreams about taking off in a caravan to savour Australia when borders finally open up. “But there’s competition from my husband, who’s of Greek origin and barracking for a European holiday!” she confesses.

Welcome home, Mrs Spartalis, it’s great to have you back!